The Family
by OnceUponASunsetDream
Summary: The debacle that was the invasion was blamed on Nightwing. No, Artemis and Wally didn't die and Kaldur didn't betray them but that didn't mean he was forgiven. Robin's loyalty to his family and his team are both tested when Batman shows up in the cave with a criminal in tow. As far as the team knew? Batman was still off world.


It was only out of respect for Robin that no one really spoke of Nightwing except in passing. The aftermath of the Reach invasion had rattled them all but the deception and - essentially - the betrayal of their leader had hit them all hard. It had been unanimous that they would not speak of Nightwing after Robin had walked out of the room five times. He never spoke up but the team all knew he would side with his brother.

With the majority of the League's leaders still off world including their father/mentor the Bats all stuck together. The second Robin had passed away in a violent explosion shortly before the League members left so the two remaining brothers were left to mourn alone. No one on the team had known the second Robin very well so they didn't feel his loss as keenly as Nightwing or his replacement but even so that was no excuse for what Nightwing had done, Zatanna said. Frequently. Faking Artemis's death and Kaldur's defection to send them undercover while leaving the rest of the team entirely in the dark seemed to be going too far. It was at this point among the soft murmurs of agreement that Robin slipped from the room.

Robin had been spending a great deal of time in Gotham these days and had even altered his costume so it was mostly black with minimal splashes of red, a gold bird symbol in the middle of the crossed utility belts slung over his chest. The once yellow and black cape was now red and shaped to look and work like wings. Like Robin, many of the newer additions to the team were spending more time with their mentors after the invasion so it was often just the original team who frequented the mountain, Bart often in tow.

They had one such gathering after taking down a small drug smuggling ring in Happy Harbour of all places. Robin was curled like a cat in an armchair, Bart leaning back against it as he sprawled across the floor. Kaldur was seated beside Connor and M'gann directly in front of the TV, all three watching the screen with a drowsy intensity. Artemis was perched on the two-seater beside Wally whom she was still reluctant to let out of her sight after his return from the speed-force while she believed him dead.

The movie played softly, almost background noise so the familiar hum of the zeta beams powering up and the computerised female voice announcing 'Red Hood. B-37' was clearly audible. Robin sprang to his feet, looking anxious even as the others either sat up or stood warily.

"Who gave the _Red Hood_ a pass to the mountain?" Wally asked incredulously. Everyone knew who the Red Hood was. The gun loving, trigger happy scourge of the Gotham underworld was an infamous figure.

"Batman." Robin answered vaguely as he signalled for them to stand down even while moving closer to the tubes. A tall figure swaggered out of the fading blue glow, red domino mask on his face, the iconic red helmet dangling from a gloved hand and even though the grey armour beneath the brown leather jacket was emblazoned with a red bat, the sheer amount of weapons they could see on him was alarming.

"Replacement." he addressed Robin in a low voice, roughened from cigarettes. "You heard from the Cave?"

Robin shook his head both completely ignoring the other occupants of the room. "I checked at two pm and I haven't heard anything since. Supposed to be a quiet patrol anyway. Why? Has something happened?"

Red Hood shrugged. "Dunno. I was meant to take the Demon Spawn out, teach him to be a 'real boy' or something." he shrugged. "I think they just want him outta the way so they can move to the bunker faster."

Robin frowned. "Not like him to miss a chance like that to one up you." he pressed a finger to the com in his ear. "Red Robin to the cave." Nothing but static. "Red Robin to the bunker, Red Robin to the bunker." Static and then Robin stilled, listening to the transmission that Red Hood must have been able to hear as well judging by his clenched jaw. When the transmission ended the two turned as one to face the team who were watching carefully. "You need to leave." Robin said shortly.

"What?!" Artemis cried. "Why?"

"And what the hell is he doing here?" Wally added pointing at the Red Hood. "Who is he anyway?"

"Batman trusts him." Robin said as the Red Hood laughed softly. "And we have two members of our…" he trailed off not sure what term would be appropriate.

"Family?" Red Hood suggested sardonically and Robin considered it before nodding slowly.

"Yeah I suppose. Family. Anyway one of them has been gassed and we need to use the med bay and lab here. They won't appreciate seeing you here."

"Why?" Connor demanded. "Haven't we proven ourselves?"

"It's not a matter of trust, kid." Hood growled. "But everyone knows that we Bats are dangerous when threatened and we've got one injured and one overprotective one arriving here soon and you need to scram."

Kaldur stepped forward placing a placating hand on Connor's arm as M'gann began to float. "We _will_ remain." he said firmly. "We won't interfere but you cannot make us leave. You have given us no reason to trust you, Red Hood."

Robin and Red Hood exchanged exasperated looks before Hood threw his arms up impatiently. "Fine. It's your god-damned funerals."

They did not have long to wait. Not even a minute later the zeta beams powered up and the computer announced the new arrivals; 'Batman 0-2. Robin B-02.' there was an instant uproar that Robin-or was it Red Robin?- and Red Hood both ignored striding towards the beams to meet the tall figure clad in the familiar intimidating Batsuit, a smaller figure in black, red, green and yellow held in his arms.

"I had to sedate him before he took my head off." Batman said to his companions as he handed 'Robin' who couldn't have been older than ten to the Red Hood who took the child, dumping his helmet on the kitchen bench as he passed it on his way to the medbay. Batman and Red Robin followed behind, Batman murmuring to the elder Robin in a low tone. The team followed exchanging cautious and suspicious looks. As far as they knew Batman was still in space with a lot of the league and was two inches taller. As far as they knew there was only one Robin and he was definitely not ten years old.

The walls of the med bay were glass to allow others to observe either recovery or quarantine. They could be blacked out but either the occupants forgot or didn't care which meant that the team could see what was happening inside the room. It was so brightly lit that the people inside were even more shadow-like than usual. Robin was laid out on the metal table while Red Hood and Batman expertly hooked him up to various monitors while Red Robin sat down at a bench before a microscope and computer to work on an antidote to whatever had infected the younger Robin.

"Heartbeat's wrong." Connor said gruffly. "It's not Batman's heartbeat." he clarified.

"Do we trust them?" Artemis asked softly as they watched a needle be pressed into new-Robin's elbow.

"Robin trusts them." Bart said as if that solved the whole argument. "And if they are who I think they are then they're heroes in my time."

"But we don't know about this time." Wally said. No one said anything about the fact that Bart also said that Robin trusted them. That much was obvious to them as they watched Robin allow the Red Hood to lay an arm across his shoulders and scrub a hand over his head while they watched Batman smooth new-Robin's dark hair away from the kid's eyes. But Red Robin had also trusted Nightwing, still trusted Nightwing who had betrayed them all, had lied through his teeth even though they knew it as to protect them it still stung to know that their leader hadn't trusted them as much as they had trusted him.

Suddenly Hood looked up at them watching through the glass and grimaced whacking Batman on the shoulder. Batman's whited out eyes bored into them and M'gann stumbled back a few paces. "I can't read their minds." she gasped. "All of them are blocked somehow."

Batman's scowl seemed to deepen if that were at all possible but he clapped their Robin on the shoulder and spoke softly to him before he moved to the door and stepped out to join the team. Red Hood slouched against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest eyeing them all with an air of irritation. "You should not invade people's minds like that." Batman said in his menacing, gravelly voice. "It won't do you any good, we have all been trained to protect our minds from psychics."

"By who?" Artemis snapped.

"Psychics." Red Hood answered with a smirk.

Connor stepped forward, punching Bart slightly behind him. "You're not Batman." the clone said calmly yet firmly. "Your heartbeat is wrong."

'Batman' looked back to the Red Hood who shrugged before Batman turned back to the team. "I haven't always been Batman." he admitted. "But I am now. Gotham needs a Batman so I stepped up."

Wally chuckled darkly and shook off Kaldur's calming hand as he moved threateningly forward. "Really now?" he asked with a humourless smile. "Since when? See, Nightwing's my friend. My best friend. He would have told me if there was a new sheriff in town."

Hood laughed scratchily and Batman crossed his arms across his chest, the cape sealing seamlessly around him. "From what I understand." Hood said with an evil grin. "You haven't exactly been talking to my big bro."

Wally blinked. "Your big-" he paused and squinted closer at the man. "Jay? That you?"

"Joker didn't kill me as good as he thought. You don't watch the news. You don't know what happened in Gotham when Batman didn't come back then well, you don't fucking deserve to know what the hell is going on!"

"What!" Wally cried. "I'm supposed to know what went down in Gotham three years ago?" Batman and Hood exchanged loaded looks which only seemed to infuriate the red head. "Gotham is a cesspit, something shitty is always happening there!"

Red Hood looked around at them all and their unbelieving faces. "Seriously?" he stared disbelievingly at them, moving to stand beside Batman. "None of you know! Can you believe this?" he said to Batman who looked as surprised as the emotionless man could.

"You're Nightwing aren't you." Connor said suddenly launching the room into silence. Neither Batman or Red Hood said a word which was as good as a confession.

"Batman?" Robin-or was it Red Robin?-asked from the door and Batman turned to look at him. "He's waking up."

Batman turned on his heel and strode into the medbay without a word the cape fluttering in his wake. The team crowded into the doorway as Batman, Red Hood and Red Robin stood around the table holding the stirring child. "Hey kiddo." Batman said softly, pushing back the kid's dark hair. "How you doing?"

The younger Robin shook his head slightly and pulled himself up to sit, shaking off any helping hands. "Tt. I am fine, Gray-Batman. You need not concern yourself."

Red Robin bristled, Hood snickered and Batman's mouth actually curved into what could almost be a smile. "Alright Robin. How do you feel?"

Robin looked up seriously at his mentor. "I feel…alright." he admitted. "No different to our prior encounters with the Scarecrow."

Batman nodded, patting the child on the shoulder and squeezing briefly. "Good. Red Robin cooked you up an antidote in under twenty minutes."

A brief look of shock crossed Robin's face but it soon turned to one of scorn as he sneered at his predecessor. "Pathetic. I could have done it in half the time."

Red Robin frowned but rolled his eyes behind his mask as though used to the treatment. "Just keep telling yourself that, Demon Spawn."

"Enough you two." Batman growled causing Red Hood to snicker.

"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen." he raised a brow when both Robins opened their mouths to retaliate. "You really want to do this here? With an audience?" he asked snidely. "I mean, I know our family squabbles are either performed on the streets or at home but an audience us a new twist on it don't you think?" While he continued talking his companions finally noticed the team crowded into the doorway.

Bart managed to push his way past both Wally and Connor to stand beside the Bats. "Oh wow, wow, wow!" He cried. "I can't believe I actually get to meet you all. Together!"

Robin managed to stand with minimal help, eyeing the young speedster judgementally. Batman let out a heavy sigh from beside Robin, hand on his back to stop him swaying slightly and gestured for everyone to move. "I'll explain as much as I can." he promised. "But not here. In the living room." Suspicious looks were exchanged but everyone did traipse into the living room and sat themselves down, the Bats all choosing seats in the most defensible places.

"So come on then." Wally snapped. "What the hell is going on? Are you Nightwing or what?"

Batman sighed, an oddly human gesture and pushed back the cowl to reveal a youthful face with old blue eyes, ringed in shadows. Hood took the opportunity to rip the mask from Red Robin's face. Red Robin hissed, tackling his predecessor to the ground to rip his own off. They both scowled at each other while Batman smiled faintly, reaching over to gently pull Robin's mask from his face to reveal his own blue eyes rolling. "I'm Batman now." he said softly, the gravel of the Bat gone from his voice, leaving it smooth and nowhere near as deep. "I've had to make many hard decisions since the League left and not just with this team. Gotham went to hell." he said simply, ignoring the angry muttering that had arisen. "Everyone seemed to know that Batman was gone and over the course of a week every single occupant of Arkham had escaped, some more than once. The Joker alone killed seventeen people. There were riots and gang wars in the streets, hell we even had an angry mob complete with pitchforks and flaming torches."

"I've never seen anything like it." Red Robin whispered. "The cops locked the city down and everyone was working around the clock. Never had so much coffee at once before in my life."

"Didn't calm down again until Dickie-bird pulled on the cape and cowl." Hood said jerking a thumb at his brother. "Even busted me out of the loony bin."

The team all gaped at them before M'gann gasped and clapped her hands together "I've just realised! I've seen you in magazines; you're the Wayne brothers- Richard, Jason, Timothy and Damian!"

The eldest brother nodded. "Dick please." He murmured. "Richard was my uncle and only people at work or at the society things call me Richard."

"Work?" Wally asked, looking shocked. "I didn't know you had a job."

Dick looked at him. " I'm acting CEO of Wayne Industries until Bruce comes back. I've also got business and finance courses at Gotham U and Princeton. I have had to foster both Tim and Damian when Bruce was declared missing and I'll be adopting them if something happens. I have to control Gotham and our whole operation and until Kaldur got back I was also running this team. Jason's been looking after Bludhaven for me which has taken a bit of weight off but it was just impractical to try being Batman in Gotham and Bludhaven or try to juggle being both identities. So I get it, you're all pissed and I don't blame you but none of you have the first idea of what it means to be leader and make the choices I had to. I have a lot on my plate and the second Bruce gets back Dami and I are going for a long relaxing trip around Europe." Half way through the speech his voice had risen and he stood from his seat to loom over them. Dick paused pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes and let out a humourless laugh. "I need to go." He said roughly holding up a hand to stop any protests. "Damian and I need to finish patrol. There is still plenty of fear gas on the streets. You ready Robin?" Damian nodded replacing his mask and springing to his feet as Dick pulled the cowl back up over his head. Batman turned to face them as the zeta beams started up and glared at them. "I maintain my predecessors opinion on other heroes in a Gotham. Stay away."

The pair vanished in a burst of white light leaving the team frozen. "That actually went better then I thought." Red Robin said earnestly.

Hood laughed "Guess it's a good thing that the kid had some drugs in his system. I was betting that at least Twinkle Toes here would be down a limb even if-oof." He broke off as a blur crashed into him, arms wrapped around his torso and a face pressed into his chest. "Ah, kid? What'cha doin'?" He asked trying to pry the boy off him.

Bart pulled back with oddly bright eyes and a guilty face. "Sorry." He squeaked. "It's just…you're the Red Hood!"

Jason blinked."I have never gotten that reaction from anyone before. Usually they bring out the guns. What's your deal, Impulse right?"

Bart nodded quickly. "Yep. Impulse. Bart Allen. From the future." He was now buzzing slightly on the spot. "I can't believe I got to meet you here! ButIcan'ttellyouanymorespoilerssorrybye." He ended on a rush, hugged Jason and Tim and then zipped out of the room.

"Weird kid." Jason said looking bewildered even as Tim laughed almost fondly.

"Can we just talk about what just happened?" Artemis shrieked on the edge of hysteria. Jason spun on his heel to face them, any lingering softness in his face gone and replaced with a deadly steel that resembled eerily the impassive face of red metal sitting on the kitchen bench behind him.

"Yes let's do that." He snarled. "Dick has been under a hell of a lot of stress in the last few years. " he turned to his brother. "How many breakdowns are we up to now?"

"Three." Tim answered coldly.

"Yep." Jason nodded. "Three breakdowns and let me tell you they were not pretty. I actually thought we were gonna have to cart him off to Arkham for that last one. You know what I thought for the last few years? Where are Dickie-bird's friends? Hmm? He used to rave about you people now we don't hear a thing about you unless it's regarding missions!" He rested his hands easily on the holsters on his hips and stomped back to the zeta tube replacing his helmet as he did so. "I don't think you're very good friends at all."

The light of the zeta beam lit up Red Robin's serious face as he nodded in agreement. "I understand that you don't like the decisions Dick had to make but when you live in Gotham, when you live with _Batman_ you learn to plan long-term. You have to realise that it might not be possible to save everyone." He frowned crossing his arms across his chest. "Would you have done any differently? Would any of you done half as well as leader?"

No one answered. Not even Kaldur. For even though Kaldur had successfully lead the team in its crucial formative years he hadn't had the same pressure during the invasion that Dick had. He had had to maintain his undercover identity but he hadn't had to maintain the team and all the added responsibilities of Batman _and_ Nightwing. "That's right. You should all just lay off. He got us through alright and more importantly _alive_ but none of the family want you around anymore. You aren't anywhere near worthy enough. Stay. Out. Of. Gotham." Tim strode towards the exit and his motorbike but then paused and took a few paces back towards them. "You know I expected better of you all." He said softly. "Especially you." He added pointing accusingly at Wally. "You were introduced to me as another brother. One who would stick by us no matter what. Hell even Bruce considered you family. So much for that." The sneer looked wrong on Tim's face but it did nothing to alter the shame uncoiling in their bellies and the tears from pricking Wally's eyes. "I'll see you next mission. I expect to be on Bart's team." The purr of the motorbike was the only sound heard in the room for a long time.


End file.
